Holy

I hope I get to sing this in heaven.

a weekend list.

{1}

I'm convinced that Beyonce is the most beautiful woman in the world. I'm also mildly obsessed with her. I mean, seriously. Just look at her.

{2}

I. love. crafting. This is a new thing for me. I used food coloring to make some pseudo-watercolors and just went to town. 

{3}

I'm trying to be a runner. Meaning, I really, really want to be a runner. Partly because I want to feel like a little bit less of a poser when I wear nike running shorts every single day a lot, and also I think it'd be good for me. This could be a really long process for me, because the longest I've ever run in one sitting was 4 miles, and I'm pretty convinced that was some kind of freak accident, because it's never happened before then or since then. So anyway, we'll see how it goes. 

{4}

This weekend, I've dreaming about being married one day. I tried not worry about the effect that it would have on my emotional health, if it was not okay to do, what if I don't get married til I'm 40, what if I never get married, blah, blah, blah. I think sometimes it's just okay to dream. Then I read this quote, which only furthered my potentially-emotionally-damaging-but-really-fun day dreams:

Marriage is those two thousand indistinguishable conversations, chatted over two thousand indistinguishable breakfasts, where intimacy turns like a slow wheel. How do you measure the worth of becoming that familiar to somebody - so utterly well know and so throughly ever-present that you become an almost invisible necessity, like air? 

-Elizabeth Gilbert-

[I hope we build forts together.

 & that he makes me laugh]

this time last year.

This time last year I was frantically trying to find a summer job/teaching job in Northwest Arkansas. I thought I might be moving to Fayetteville for the summer. I had semi-moved home, knowing that it was only a temporary thing. This time last year I was refusing to apply to teach at any schools in Pine Bluff. I wanted to teach in Northwest Arkansas, live close to all my friends, and work at Gap part-time during the summer so I could get a discount (yes, this was a legitimate part of my life dream). 

Today, I taught a room full of juvenile delinquents about whales. They freaked out when they found out that a blue whale's mouth is as big across as our ceilings are high. "Daaaaaaaang, that's a big ass whale." I watched 2 girls get into a fight and I breathed in some pepper spray. The kids found out my middle name and now think it's real funny to call me "Miss Elizabeth". I had a 14 year old kid call me Mama and come and lean his head on my shoulder. I fed my class fish and laughed with my kids. 

A year ago, in my wildest dreams I could not have imagined that this would be my life. And today I would have it absolutely no other way. 

singing into the storm.

And this  is why I love Jon Foreman.


"For me, the song has always helped to restore sanity. The melody can help to string broken things together, bringing me back from the ledge of from depression. Sometimes, the music says it better than the words do; the melody brings the tension and release into a dance rather than a struggle. This isn't to say that music stops the pain. Rather, music contextualizes the pain within the larger human experience and thus brings a certain timeless meaning and depth to the temporary despair and hopelessness I feel. And to this end, I love music. I love to find myself there in the songs of others. I love to find joy writing my own songs. Yes, even songs about the madness: trying to push through despair towards hope, singing into the storm."

-Jon Foreman-

read the rest of the post here

Today I am thankful...

For students that miss me when I'm gone for a few days

For excellent movies

For letters [and misspelled names]

For rest

For vacations with my favorite girls

That I get to go to cool conferences like this one because of my job

And that because of Jesus' death, the grave has lost all its power. 

here's to change.

here's to change. the good kind. the kind that sneaks up on you like a pleasant surprise.

love songs.

So I got to see Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors last night in concert. They were so amazing. Such great music and so fun to watch. But my favorite part was watching Ellie and Drew and the way they looked at each other while they played together. It was so obvious that they adored each other. They played this song during the acoustic part of the show:

I really want to be in love like this someday :)